Voting booth



Sept. 29, 1970 G. w. BOYER 3,531,170

I VOTING BOOTH Filed Jan. 5, 1969 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 5Z '{4\/ I 75* jfiZ I I I I I I M/f INVENTOR J' GARY VV. BOYER ATTORNEY v F/G. 4 %M1.Q

Sept. 29, 1970 G. w. BOYER 3,531,170

VOTING BOOTH Filed Jan. 5, 1969 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 IP47 47% f 5/ r I I 5/ 55 Z5 49' KZ/ #7,

fZ INVENTOR 7 O GARY W BQYER ATTORNEY United States Patent 3,531,170 VOTING BOOTH Gary W. Boyer, Sand Springs, Okla, assignor to Hoerner Waldorf Corporation, St. Paul, Minn, a corporation of Delaware Filed Jan. 3, 1969, Ser. No. 788,839 Int. Cl. A47b 43/00, 17/06; B65d /22 US. Cl. 312--259 7 Claims ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE This invention relates to an improvement in packaged portable voting booth and deals particularly with a container which may be stored in a compact state, and which may be opened up to provide a portable voting booth when desired. In certain areas of the country, voters cast their ballots by punching an IBM card ballot, and inserting the card in a vote recording machine. The card ballot lists the candidates and issues to be voted upon, and potential openings are provided adjacent to each candidate or issue. A stylus is provided by means of which holes may be punched adjoining the candidate or issue of the voters choice. When the punch card is inserted into the recorder, the votes are automatically tallied.

In order that the cards may be punched in privacy, some sort of booths are usually provided in which the cards may be punched. In view of the fact that elections are usually not particularly frequent, and in view of the fact that the cards are of relatively small size, it has been found practical to use booths which comprise merely of shelves or counters, usually against the wall of a room and providing small panels dividing the counter into separate compartments in which the cards may be punched in private. The present structure comprises a generally rectangular container having a tray-shaped bottom portion which may be rested upon the counter, and a hinged tray-shaped cover connected to the rear edge of the tray forming the bottom portion. The cover portion is provided with a pair of hinged panels which are normally stored between the trays and enclosed thereby when the voting booth is being stored. When the booth is to be used, it is only necessary to swing the cover up into generally right angular relation to the base portion and to swing the panel forwardly from the cover to form sides to the booth. Accordingly, each booth may be folded from storage position to operable position in a matter of seconds, and the booths may be folded into closed position, after the polls have closed, in a similar short period of time.

A feature of the present invention resides in the fact that the voting booth may be overpacked and shipped in set-up form if desired. When not in use, the booth comprises a generally rectangular container -'which may be used for storage purposes if desired. The booth takes but little storage space between periods of use and can be easily stored in a closet or a small cabinet between elections.

A further feature of the present invention resides in the fact that if desired, the booths may be shipped in flat form and may be easily erected at their destination with 3,531,170 Patented Sept. 29, 1970 out the use of tools. The booths are preferably formed of two blanks of corrugated paperboard or a similar material and the side walls of the tray may be readily locked in right angular relation to the bottom panel and top panel, to which they are hinged, and the side panels may be secured to the tray forming the top of the container by simply underlocking the two parts together.

A further feature of the present invention resides in the fact that due to the fact that the bottom panel is formed of corrugated paperboard, a somewhat flexible and resilient base is provided upon which the cards may be punched. In view of the fact that the stylus must punch through the card, the yielding surface of the corrugated board provides an ideal platform on which the cards may be punched.

A further feature of the present invention resides in the provision of a booth of the type described which may be used in the recording of tests and examinations in colleges and universities. As a further use of the booths, examination test cards may be punched in privacy and there is little chance for one student to see the answers on the cards being punched by other students.

These and other objects and novel features of the present invention will be more clearly and fully set forth in the following specification and claims.

In the drawings forming a part of the specification:

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of the voting booth in closed or storage position.

FIG. 2 is a perspective view of the booth in readiness for use.

FIG. 3 is a perspective section of a corner of the cover panel, indicating the method of locking the front liner.

FIG. 4 is a vertical sectional view transversely through the closed voting booth, the position of the section being indicated by the line 4-4 of FIG. 1.

FIG. 5 is a diagrammatic view of the blank from which the body of the booth s formed.

FIG. 6 is a diagrammatic view of the blank from which the side wings of the voting booth are formed.

FIG. 7 is a vertical sectional view through the closed booth, the position of the section being indicated by the line 77 of FIG. 1.

The portable voting booth is indicated in general by the letter A. This booth is formed with a body portion which is indicated in general by the numeral 10, and a special die cut member which is indicated by the numeral 11. The blank from which the body portion 10 is formed is best illustrated in FIG. 5 of the drawings.

As is indicated in this figure, the blank 10 includes a bottom panel 12, which is hingedly connected along parallel fold lines 13 to sidewalls 14. The sidewalls 14 are hingedly connected along a double fold line 15 to sidewall lining panels 16-. The sidewall panels 14 and 16 are similarly shaped and are of trapezoidal form. The rear edges of the sidewalls 14 are accordingly somewhat taller than the forward edges thereof so that the trayshaped bottom to be formed will be somewhat deeper at the rear edge than at the forward edge thereof.

The forward edge of the bottom panel 12 is defined by a fold line 17 which connects the bottom panel to a front wall panel 19. The front Wall 19 is hingedly connected along a double score line 20 to a front wall lining panel 21. Corner flaps 22 are hingedly connected to the forward edges of the side wall panels 14 along fold lines 23 which are substantially aligned with the fold line 17.

The rear edge of the bottom panel 12 is connected by a fold line 24 to a rear wall panel 25. Corner flaps 26 are hingedly connected to opposite sides of the rear wall panel 25 along fold lines 27 which are substantially aligned 'with the fold lines 13. The corner flaps 26 are preferably tapered to correspond in shape to the adjoining portions of the side walls 14.

A cover panel 29 is hingedly connected to the upper edge of the rear wall 25 along a fold line 30. The top panel 29 is somewhat narrower than the bottom panel 12, and is connected along parallel fold lines 31 to cover side wall panels 32. The cover side wall panels 32 are generally rectangular and are connected along double fold lines 33 to cover side wall lining panels 34. The forward edge of the top panel 29 is connected along a fold line 35 to cover front wall panel 36. The panel 36 is connected along a double scored line 37 to a cover front wall liner panel 39. Corner flaps 40 are connected to opposite ends of the cover front wall 36 along fold lines 41.

Slots 42 are provided in the bottom panel 12 along the fold lines 13. Locking tongues 43 are provided on the lower edge of liner panel 16. A pair of spaced slots 44 are also provided extending along the fold line 17 in the bottom panel 12. Locking tongues 45 are provided on the lower edge of the front wall liner panel '21.

The die cut side wing member 11 includes an intermediate panel 46 which is hingedly connected along parallel fold lines 47 to substantially trapezoidal side wings 49. The upper corners 50 and the lower corners 51 of the side wings 49 are preferably rounded as indicated. The fold lines 47 are spaced apart a distance slightly less than the space between the fold lines 31 defining opposite sides of the top panel 29. The fold lines 47 are interrupted by substantially U-shaped cut lines 52 which define a pair of oppositely extending locking tongues. The ends of the locking tongues 53 are spaced a distance substantially equal to the distance between the fold lines 31 defining opposite sides of the top panel 29.

In the operation of setting up the portable voting booth, the sidewall panels 14 may be folded up into right angular relation to the bottom panel 12, and the corner flaps 22 are folded into a common plane extending along the fold line 17 connecting the bottom panel 12 to the front wall 19. The front wall 19 is then folded upwardly to lie outwardly of the corner flaps 22. The front wall lining panel 21 is then folded over and inwardly of the corner flaps 22 and the locking tongues are engaged in the slots 44.

The corner flaps 26 are folded into right angular relation to the rear wall 25, and the rear wall is folded upwardly along the fold line 24, the corner flaps 26 extending inwardly of the side walls 14. The side wall liner panels 16 are then folded over and inwardly of the corner flaps 26 and the locking tongues 43 are engaged in the slots 42. The bottom portion of the voting booth is now completely assembled.

In setting up the top or cover portion of the booth, the side wings 49 of the die out side wing member 11 are folded upwardly and inwardly along the fold lines 47 to rest in overlapping relation, and with the locking tongues 53 extending laterally from the remainder of the intermediate panel 46. The panel 46 is then placed in face contact with the top panel 29 and in substantially contiguous relation thereto. The cover of front wall panel 36 is folded upwardly in right angular relation to the top panel 29, and the corner flaps 40, are folded along the fold lines 41 to extend along the fold lines 31 of the cover panel. The cover side wall panels 32 are then folded up along the fold lines 31 to lie outwardly of the corner flaps 40, and the cover side wall liner panels 34 are folded over and inwardly of the corner flaps 40. The edges of the liner panels 34 are also preferably provided with locking tongues 56 which engage in sockets 57 in the top panel 29 along the fold lines 31. The sockets 57 may comprise of slots, but preferably comprise of crushed areas of the corrugated paperboard which are defined by cut score lines extending partially through the corrugated board and inwardly embossed to form sockets. This arrangement is preferred merely from a standpoint of appearance.

The assembly is completed by folding the cover front panel liner panel 39 inwardly and downwardly to lie inwardly of the panel 36. It will be noted that the ends of the side wall liner panels 34 are notched as indicated at 57 and the sides of the liner panel 39 are provided with short locking tongues 59 which engage into the notches 57 to hold the cover assembled. It will be noted that the side wall liner panels 34 are held in folded condition not only by the engagement of the locking tongues 56 in the sockets 57, but also by the engagement of the edges of the panels 34 and the intermediate panel 46.

When in folded condition, the voting booth appears as indicated in FIG. 1 of the drawings, the side wings 49 being folded into overlapping relation as indicated in FIG. 4 of the drawings. In this condition, the booth may be used for storage purposes if desired. When it is desired to use the booth, it is only necessary to swing the cover portion of the booth upwardly along the fold line 30 and to swing the side wings 49 outwardly into parallel relation, the corners 51 of the side wings eventually engaging the bottom panel to hold the booth in the position indicated in FIG. 2 of the drawings. As will be seen, the booth may be erected in an extremely short period of time, and may be folded into storage position in a similar short period of time.

As an alternate method of forming the booth, the side wall panels and front wall panels of the cover section may be folded into right angular relation to the top panel 29 and these panels interlocked. The side wing member 11 may then be folded with the side wings 49 in overlapping relation overlying the intermediate panel 46, and the member 11 may be forced between the wall structure of the cover portion until the locking tongues 53 are engaged in the notches 55 of the cover side wall aligning panels 34.

In accordance with the patent statutes, I have described the principles of construction and operation of my voting booth; and while I have endeavored to set forth the best embodiment thereof, I desire to have it understood that obvious changes may be made within the following claims without departing from the spirit of my invention.

I claim:

1. A voting booth including:

a bottom section and a cover section hingedly connected along an edge thereof,

said cover section including a generally tray shaped body including a top panel and right angularly extending connected side wall panels and front wall panel,

a side wing member including an intermediate panel and side wing panels hinged to said intermediate panel along opposite side edges thereof, and

means securing said intermediate panel in face contact with said top panel between said side wall panels, said side wing panels being foldable from overlapping relation adjacent said intermediate panel to generally right angular relation to said intermediate panel to provide side walls between said sections.

2. The structure of claim 1 and in which said side wall panels are provided with side wall liner panels hinged to the edges of said side wall panels and folded inwardly of, and substantially parallel to, said side wall panels, said liner panels comprising said means for holding said intermediate panel in face contact with said top panel.

3. The structure of claim 2 and in which said intermediate panel includes locking tongues projecting beyond the hinge connecting said intermediate panel to said side wings, said liner panel engaging said locking tongues.

4. The structure of claim 1 and in which said bottom section comprises a tray shaped body having a bottom panel, side wall panels hinged to opposite side edges of said bottom panel, and front and rear wall panels hinged to opposite front and rear edges of said bottom panel, said top panel being hinged to said rear wall panel.

5. The structure of claim 4 and in which said bottom section side wall panels include side wall liner panels hinged thereto and positioned inwardly thereof, and ineluding corner flaps hinged to the ends of said rear Wall panel and sandwiched between said last named side wall panels and said side Wall liner panels.

6. The structure of claim 4 and in which said bottom section side wall panels include side wall liner panels hinged thereto and positioned inwardly thereof, and including corner flaps hinged to the ends of said rear wall panel and sandwiched between said last named side wall panels and said side Wall liner panels, corner flaps hinged to the forward ends of said last named side wall panels and positioned inwardly of said front wall panel secured to said bottom panel, and a front wall liner panel hinged to the upper edge of said last named front wall panel and positioned inwardly of said last named corner flaps.

UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,248,871 7/1941 Howe 10835 XR 2,934,388 4/1960 Brown 312-33 XR 3,162,350 12/1964 Miller.

3,315,375 4/1967 Heinz 35 35 3, 1%,829 10/1968 Stone 2 229 36 XR JORDAN FRANKLIN, Primary Examiner G. H. KRIZMANICH, Assistant Examiner US. Cl. X.R. 35-60; 22936 

